What Is My Area Commission? How to Find Yours in Columbus
· Updated
Columbus has 21 area commissions, and not every address is in one. Here's how to find the one that covers an address, when each meets, and what its recommendation does in a zoning case.
Correction (October 3, 2026): An earlier version of this article said Columbus has roughly two dozen area commissions of elected or appointed residents who review liquor permits, and that most of them meet at the same time. The City lists 21 area commissions, which don't cover the whole city, whose members are appointed by the mayor with City Council's concurrence, and which meet in eight different weeknight slots through the month (City of Columbus Area Commissions map layer; Columbus City Code 3109.07).
What an area commission is
Columbus City Code Chapter 3109 sets up area commissions "to afford additional voluntary citizen participation in decision-making in an advisory capacity" (C.C. 3109.01). "An area commission is an advisory body" (C.C. 3109.14).
Each has 7 to 21 members, all appointed by the mayor with City Council's concurrence (C.C. 3109.07), serving three-year terms without pay (C.C. 3109.09).
Among its duties, a commission regularly receives "copies of applications and notices of all public hearings related to rezonings, special permits, variances, demolitions, and zoning appeals" for property in its area (C.C. 3109.14(D)(5)). It also reviews the City's proposed capital improvements budget and pending legislation substantially affecting its area (C.C. 3109.14(C)(1), (D)(4)).
Does my address have one?
Columbus has 21 area commissions (City of Columbus Area Commissions map layer), and they don't cover the whole city. The City's 2026 Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) application tells applicants to use CbusAreaCommissions.org to identify the area commission and, "for areas not served by one," the City's ONE Map. A site without one may still be in a recognized neighborhood group, a Historic Architectural Review Commission or a Design Review Area.
The application names three ways to check an address: CbusAreaCommissions.org; the Columbus Zoning Map or the ONE Map, searching by address or parcel ID; and the Department of Neighborhoods at 614-645-1993. Civic Worth's free address preview also shows an address's area commission, or that there's none, with its meeting time.
When it meets
The City's Area Commissions map layer lists each commission's regular meeting time and place. All 21 meet once a month on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening, starting between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Up to four share a night: Mideast, South Linden, Columbus South Side and Livingston Avenue all meet on the 3rd Tuesday.
| Area commission | Meets |
|---|---|
| Far East | 1st Tuesday, 6:30 pm |
| Greater Hilltop | 1st Tuesday, 6:30 pm |
| 5th by Northwest | 1st Tuesday, 7:00 pm |
| North Central | 1st Thursday, 6:00 pm |
| Far South Columbus | 1st Thursday, 6:30 pm |
| Clintonville | 1st Thursday, 7:00 pm |
| Franklinton | 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 pm |
| Milo-Grogan | 2nd Tuesday, 6:00 pm |
| Southwest | 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 pm |
| Northeast | 2nd Thursday, 6:00 pm |
| Near East | 2nd Thursday, 6:30 pm |
| Mideast | 3rd Tuesday, 6:00 pm |
| South Linden | 3rd Tuesday, 6:00 pm |
| Columbus South Side | 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 pm |
| Livingston Avenue | 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 pm |
| University | 3rd Wednesday, 6:30 pm |
| Westland | 3rd Wednesday, 7:00 pm |
| North Linden | 3rd Thursday, 6:00 pm |
| West Scioto | 3rd Thursday, 6:30 pm |
| Greater South East | 4th Tuesday, 6:30 pm |
| Far West Side | 4th Tuesday, 7:00 pm |
Some entries in the layer were last edited in 2024, so confirm the date and place with the commission before you go.
Meetings are open to the public (C.C. 3109.14(B)(1)). Each commission adopts its own rules of procedure, and "records of all proceedings shall be maintained and open to the public" (C.C. 3109.13).
What its vote does
A commission's suggestions "shall be advisory only," and an applicant's failure to follow them "shall not in itself constitute grounds for denial of the application" (C.C. 3109.15(B)). The Board of Zoning Adjustment decides most variances and special permits (C.C. 3307.05), and City Council decides rezonings and Council variances (C.C. 3307.10).
The recommendation is still a required step. The BZA application says: "The applicant must arrange to meet with the group identified above, and obtain a written recommendation prior to the public hearing." Its schedule page says neighborhood group recommendations must be complete before the board considers an application. Rezonings and Council variances also need a recommendation from a designated neighborhood group before they go to City Council (City of Columbus, Rezoning and Council Variance process).
More: what happens at a Columbus area commission meeting, and which body decides each kind of case.
Look up an address
Enter an address on Civic Worth to see its area commission and meeting time, council district and zoning district, each with its source and an as-of date. Verified newsrooms and 501(c)(3) nonprofits get 100 reports a month free (details).
Sources
- City of Columbus, Board of Zoning Adjustment Application (2026)
- City of Columbus, Rezoning Process and Council Variance Process
- City of Columbus, Area Commissions map layer (names, meeting times and places, zoning chairs)
- Columbus City Code, Chapter 3109: Area Commissions
- Columbus City Code, Chapter 3307: Board of Zoning Adjustment; Appeals and Variances
- CbusAreaCommissions.org, linked from the City's BZA application
- City of Columbus, ONE Map, linked from the City's BZA application
Frequently asked
What is an area commission in Columbus?
It's an advisory body set up under Columbus City Code Chapter 3109 (C.C. 3109.14). Each has 7 to 21 members, all appointed by the mayor with City Council's concurrence (C.C. 3109.07), serving three-year terms without pay (C.C. 3109.09). Among its duties, it receives the applications and hearing notices for rezonings, special permits, variances, demolitions and zoning appeals in its area (C.C. 3109.14(D)(5)). The City's Area Commissions map layer lists 21 of them.
How do I find out which area commission covers my address?
The City's 2026 Board of Zoning Adjustment application names the ways: CbusAreaCommissions.org, the Columbus Zoning Map, or the City's ONE Map, searching by address or parcel ID, and the Department of Neighborhoods at 614-645-1993. Not every address has an area commission; the application says to use the ONE Map for areas not served by one. Civic Worth's free address preview also shows the commission, or that there's none.
When does my area commission meet?
The City's Area Commissions map layer lists each commission's regular meeting time and place. All 21 meet once a month on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening, starting between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Meetings are open to the public (C.C. 3109.14(B)(1)), and records of all proceedings are kept and open to the public (C.C. 3109.13).